Sunday Reflections...

Yesterday I watched the one of my regular food shows and french bread pizzas were featured. Can I tell you something? Until I watched that show, I really never thought of making my own. Silly, I know. So, I decided to make some sourdough rolls about 6". Didn't they turn out pretty? Here is my tip if you are baking and wanting to achieve this golden brown color... Bake them as directed and then about 5 minutes before you take them out, baste with melted butter. The bread it hot and the butter starts sizzling right away and you end up with this beautiful color. The directions on the recipe recommended an egg wash, but I prefer the butter. I've tried putting the butter on at the beginning of the baking, but these bake at 450 and it's too brown for me.

We made pizzas today, slicing each roll in half and each of us were able to top it how we wanted. They bake in the oven for 375 for 20 minutes. Note: how long you cook them is up to you. It also depends on how many toppings you add and what kind of bread you are using. Homemade bread is denser than store bought and needs a longer time in the oven. I don't know why, exactly, probably some kind of additive or something. Anyway, I started checking at 15 minutes. I was waiting for the cheese to brown and the bonus was that the bread was lovely and crunchy. So for us it was 20 minutes at 375. I apologize for not taking a picture of the finished pizza, but by the time the twenty minutes were up, we were all too intent on eating to take pictures.

There is a small group of iris outside the kitchen window. I can see them from the sink. They are deep, deep purple and smaller than the others I have around the house. This year, they've decided to bloom twice. It's such a lovely gift from nature. See for yourself! Just another example of the abundance of life.

Well, it turns out I forgot to finish this post yesterday, so now it's Sunday-Monday Reflections.

The dishwasher is on the fritz and the replacement part doesn't arrive until tomorrow. Yes, I know plenty of people do without a dishwasher. But when you are used to it and it is integral to your cooking routine, it's so irritating. Whiny! Yes I am; don't hold it against me.

For anyone else who might be considering giving up caffeine... I am not caffeine dependent, though I do occasionally partake. Most of the time when I have one it's because I want it, but there have been one or two days after a sleepless night when I've used the caffeine to get through the long afternoon. A friend of mine says she feels "much better" without caffeine. I can't say there has been a dramatic change in any area of my life, though I do sleep more consistently. Mostly I wanted to get away from the 'need' for caffeine and I've done that. I didn't want to always be thinking about Diet Coke and now I don't. Oh, I think my teeth and gums are healthier. Which is weird to me as I didn't know pop had that effect. All in all, it was a good decision and one I've been able to easily live with.

Well, that's about it for the musings. I'm off to work this day. Hope you had a good weekend.

Today is Veteren's Day. For every soldier and their families: Thank you!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy